Red River College

5 www.rrc.ca/appliedresearch Saturday, February 22, 2014 A DECADE OF 2004-2014 NRC-IRAP's support allows RRC to arrange networking events and to bring in speakers to educate and encourage innovation in clean water technology. "We have a great relationship with the Manitoba Environmental Industry Association," says Spewak. "ey focus on policy while we work on the technical side with industry. Together we work to create projects for small companies in the clean water technology industry. Rather than import solutions, our researchers can work with industry to create our own solutions and find a way to export them to others." e faculty and researchers at RRC provide advisory services, along with access to facilities, to small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). ese services help businesses increase productivity, innovate, and become more competitive in the clean water technology field. Recently, as a direct follow-up to a water roundtable at Centrallia 2012, a team from RRC, the Manitoba Environmental Industries Association, and World Trade Centre Winnipeg traveled to the Netherlands to learn about their experts' solutions to their unique water problems. Below sea level, the country has challenges with water drainage. "ey had a lot to show us in the innovative ways they manage water and water treatment," says Spewak. "Waste is a resource in the Netherlands. We don't see it way, so it was very interesting to learn from their experience. is February, a trade commission from the Netherlands will be visiting here. We were introduced to their network when we were there. Now they will get the chance to connect with ours." A team from industry and RRC is also working on a plan to use cattail plants to clean the overabundance of nutrients that annually plagues Lake Winnipeg's waters with toxic algae. Cattail plants naturally feed on the harmful phosphorus and nitrogen, but they can only do their job in the shallow water that is their natural habitat. Working with Curry Industries and Native Plant Solutions, the research team has created floating bioplatforms that they hope will make it possible for cattails to grow anywhere on the lake. Currently the platforms that were built in 2013 are still on the lake to see how they will survive the winter. e NRC-IRAP financial contribution also helped subsidize a student to work on this project. CLEAN WATER TECHNOLOGY Red River College (RRC) is focusing on clean water technology, with a financial contribution from the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP). "is is an area of research that is important to us," explains Rob Spewak, Senior Research Manager, Applied Research & Commercialization. "In Manitoba, we have the challenge of the nutrient-loaded Lake Winnipeg, and unique conditions of both flood and drought. is contribution helps us create a network of interested groups and individuals so we can share information, learn from one another, and work towards common goals." Where vision takes flight EXPERTSINAEROSPACEANDDEFENSEMOBILITYMANUFACTURING: precisionhighspeedmachining,postprocessing,assemblies&integration S u p p l e m e n t t o t h e W i n n i p e g F r e e p r e S S - m o n d ay, S e p t e m b e r 9 , 2 0 1 3 Manitoba's aerospace industry is proud to partner with Red River College in driving innovation through applied research Where vision takes flight EXPERTSINAEROSPACEANDDEFENSEMOBILITYMANUFACTURING: precisionhighspeedmachining,postprocessing,assemblies&integration S u p p l e m e n t t o t h e W i n n i p e g F r e e p r e S S - m o n d ay, S e p t e m b e r 9 , 2 0 1 3 www.innovatemanitoba.com Innovate Manitoba looks forward to continued collaboration with the College towards the acceleration of innovation and prosperity for all Manitobans. Congratulations to Red River College for a decade of applied research leadership. l e A R n i n g A n d s h A R i n g Fort Whyte bioplatform installation e Hon. Steven Fletcher, Minister of State (Transport); James Knight, President, Association of Canadian Community Colleges; MP Joyce Bateman (Winnipeg South Centre); the Hon. Gary Goodyear, Minister of State (Science and Technology); Stephanie Forsyth, President of RRC; and Dr. Suzanne Fortier, President, NSERC at the announcement of NSERC funding for RRC's Technology Access Centre. CMT robotic welding capability at RRC's Industrial campus co-located at StandardAero,Centre for Aerospace Technology & Training (CATT). Neil Dobson, Research Technologist (le), and Fred Doern, Research Chair (right) for the School of Transportation, Aviation & Manufacturing (right) with research robot Baxter. In November 2012, the Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State for Science and Technology, confirmed a grant of $1.7 million through the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada's (NSERC) Community and College Innovation Program to establish the Technology Ac- cess Centre (TAC) for Aerospace and Manufacturing. Fred Doern, Research Chair for the School of Transportation, Aviation and Manufacturing, explained that the grant, paid out over five years, was to be used to create the TAC, focus- ing on innovation, research and training. e centre makes RRC's expertise, research facilities and technology available to small- and medium-sized businesses involved in aerospace & manufacturing. "is technology access centre builds on the partnerships RRC has formed with companies like StandardAero and Boeing Canada to enhance innovation and productivity in these key industry sectors," says Stephanie Forsyth, President of RRC. "Ultimately, the research done through the TAC will create new jobs and other economic opportunities right here in Manitoba." At the TAC, industry works with RRC on applied research projects, technical service, and training activities. Aerospace and manufacturing-specific program graduates, co-op stu- dents and interns have the opportunity to work with experts in the industry. e students contribute to the development of new technologies, while developing skills and making important industry connections. With industry partnerships like this, it's no wonder that RRC has a 95 per cent employment rate for its graduates. At the TAC, industry clients can pursue applied research and testing without interrupting their own production. e centre also offers various technical services such as the capacity to print a rapid prototype or to conduct non-destructive inspec - tion tests. And the focus is on responding to industry require- ments quickly. "For most of those companies, the answer is needed in a matter of weeks," says Tracey Dyer, Manager of the TAC and Director of Business Development for the School of Transportation, Aviation and Manufacturing. TECHNOLOGY ACCESS CENTRE FOR AEROSPACE & MANUFACTURING The three main areas of focus for the TAC are: • Advanced Materials & Bonding (including composites and advanced joining/welding, 3D printing/additive manufacturing technologies) • Imaging & Automation (including robotics, PLC's/sen - sors/actuators, CNC, Non-Destructive Inspection) • Simulation & Visualization (soware, HD video & learning simulations, hardware simulators, etc.) Over the past decade, RRC and its partners have invested over $20 million in acquiring state-of-the-art technologies specializing in advanced materials and bonding, imaging and automation, and machine vision and simulation. e TAC initiative brings these facilities under one umbrella, making it easier for industry to access equipment and col - lege researchers. In the future the TAC looks forward to even more collaboration in applied research projects with organi- zations of all sizes, both within and outside of the province. With its work in green building construction and the development and testing of electric vehicles, Manitoba is becoming known as a nucleus for sustainability in both Canada and throughout North America. To support the sustainable infrastructure and transportation network in Manitoba, Applied Research & Commercialization at RRC has developed a Sustainable Infrastructure and Transportation Cluster Map. The map highlights Manitoba-based facilities and expertise in this field and provides an interactive platform for participating organizations and users. The map can be found here: http://mbsustainableclustermap.rrc.ca/ Thanks to the Digital Technology Adoption Pilot Program (DTAPP) delivered through NRC-IRAP, RRC technology students are getting valuable workplace experience while helping SMEs with their digital technology challenges. DTAPP is a national program designed to speed up the rate at which SMEs in Canada adopt digital technology and build digital skills. For several construction and manufacturing businesses in Manitoba, those skills were delivered in 2013 by a cross- functional team of 12 RRC technology students, their instructors and researchers. The student teams spent an average of five days working onsite with each company, and then prepared reports for these businesses with recommendations ranging from suggestions for the use of robotics to incorporating mobile devices and adopting mobile applications. "you have students, instructors, and research advisors all working together to support a local business in becoming more productive and competitive," says Brent Wennekes, DTAPP project manager for RRC. "It's a prime learning and networking opportunity for the students, and the firms involved benefit not only from the insights they receive from the reports, but from getting to test-drive potential future employees." Several firms have gone ahead and adopted the recommended technologies, and at least one student has gone on to work for their project client after the project was completed. Building digital Connections sustainable infrastructure www.rrc.ca/appliedresearch Powering Innovation and Productivity for Industry and Students

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